I’m not gonna lie. As a farm kid, I dreaded when school was out for the summer. Ahh, when school gets out for the summer to a farmer’s kid, what does it mean? Three times the work and no money. I failed algebra three times on purpose just so I could stay in summer school.

Mycotoxin contamination, caused by molds and fungi that appear in feed, is an urgent concern in dairy rations across the country this year. A recent mycotoxin report warns contamination levels in the 2018 crop present a medium-to-high risk to livestock.

According to economic data gathered from 60 Maryland dairies between 1995-2009, grazing dairies posted a higher per-cow profit than confinement dairies – $156 more per cow. The farms surveyed included 20 grazing-based and 40 confined-milking herds.

In early July, Greek yogurtmaker Chobani LLC announced a program designed to increase supply chain transparency and boost consumer confidence when making dairy product purchases – and provide a premium to participating dairy farmers and their workers.

Dairy producers signing up for the highest level of Tier 1 coverage under the 2019 Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program are ensured indemnity payments for a sixth consecutive month. And, with feed costs climbing faster than milk prices, the June payment will be the highest since February.

New Holland’s BR round balers, prior to the 7000 Series, could allow material to pack around the outer ends of the roll.

Various additives, including micro-organisms, enzymes and chemical compounds, have been added to forages to maintain or improve the nutritive value of a crop as silage. As is the nature of most biological systems, there can be considerable variation in the outcome of using these additives.

From school wellness to food security, the summer of 2019 has been filled with activities and events designed to educate and serve others, while promoting dairy. Here’s a look at a just a few.

Digest Highlights

• St. Albans Cooperative Creamery members approve merger with DFA
• Dairy Margin Coverage payments reach $158 million
• USDA to purchase $68 million in dairy products
• California Dairies Inc. names Anderson president and CEO
• April fluid sales revised upward
• Hearings set on Wisconsin livestock facility siting rule
• Large California dairy biogas operation completed

Precision agriculture has focused on optimizing efficiency. For crop production, yields can be obtained from the combine and integrated with soil nutrient data to characterize the response to changes in management strategies (spraying, harvesting, nutrient application, irrigation, etc.). Currently the highest resolution for yield, for the majority of farms raising alfalfa in Kentucky, is based upon the field level of data. Specifically, most farmers could specify the bales per field.